Epidemiological Study (cohort study)

Risk of cancer in Finnish children living close to power lines. epidemiol.

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Aim of study (according to author)
The risk of cancer in children exposed to magnetic fields of power transmission lines was investigated in a nationwide cohort study in Finland.
Background/further details:
Buildings located within 500 m of power lines were identified to calculate the magnetic fields of the central points based on load flows. Children were classified as exposed if they lived in buildings with magnetic fields ≥ 0.2 µT or if the cumulative exposure was ≥ 0.4 µT years.

Comment on Aim of Study (up to 2000 characters):

Endpoints/type of risk estimation

• childhood leukemia
• childhood lymphoma
• childhood brain tumor/cns tumor: central nervous system tumor
• other childhood cancer

Estimate of incidence by standardized incidence rate (SIR)

Comment on Endpoints (up to 2000 characters):

Exposure

• magnetic field, 50/60 Hz (AC), power transmission line, 110, 220 and 400 kV
• type of exposure: residential
• assessment by calculation (buildings with annual magnetic fields of ≥ 0.01 µT for ≥ 1 year between 1970 - 1989, cumulative exposure in µT years (sum of the products of the average exposure each year and the duration of such exposure))

groups of exposure:

Reference group 1:	magnetic field: 0.01 - 0.19 µT
group 2:	magnetic field: ≥ 0.2 µT
Reference group 3:	cumulative exposure: 0.01 - 0.39 µT years
group 4:	cumulative exposure: ≥ 0.4 µT years

Comment on exposure (up to 2000 characters):

Population
Study group: children, aged from 0 to 19 years
Group characteristics: children living within 500 m of power lines in calculated magnetic fields of ≥ 0.01 µT
Observation period: 1970 - 1989
Study location: Finland
Source of data: Finnish cancer registry

Study size	cohort
number total	134,800

Remark: 978100 person years; 140 cases of childhood cancer

Comment on population (up to 2000 characters):

Results/conclusion (according to author)
Only 7300 children (5.4 %) had been exposed to magnetic fields of power lines of 0.2 µT and more. 12 900 children (9.6 %) had a cumulative exposure of more than 0.4 µT years.
No significant increased risk for leukemia, lymphoma, or cancers overall was observed among children at any exposure level. The significantly increased risk for central nervous tumors (based on 5 cases) was found in boys, which is likey to be a chance finding. The results suggested that magnetic fields of power lines do not form a major public health risk regarding childhood cancer.

Comment on outcome (up to 2000 characters):

(Study character: epidemiological study, cohort study)

General comment on article (up to 2000 characters):

Study funded by

• not stated/none

• by  Philips A
• by  Draper G
• by  Ahlbom A, Feychting M, Koskenvuo M, Olsen J, Pukkala E, Schulgen G, Verkasalo P
• by  Dennis JA

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